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We looked at milk, pasta, olive oil, steak, and more.
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Mackenzie Filson
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Tag: Grocery shopping
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We Compared Prices for a Dozen Items at Aldi Versus Trader Joe’s — And One Is Clearly Cheaper
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The Best Bacon I’ve Ever Tasted In My Entire Life Is from Pigs Raised on … Leftover Lifesavers and Country Music?!
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Michele MetychMichele is an encyclopedia editor, a chef, an urban farmer, and a chicken keeper. As the Heritage Gourmet, her passion and borderline obsession is integrating old-school farm-to-table techniques with modern life. She has grown and milled her own wheat, made huitlacoche quesadillas with homegrown corn smut, and recreated George Washington’s eggnog — all from the comfort of her 116-year-old farmhouse on the Southside of Chicago. Her 1/100th-of-an-acre garden boasts a winesap apple tree, pear trees, hazelnuts, warty pumpkins, purple basil, four colors of carrots, and 16 varieties of tomatoes. She is thinking of building a beehive.
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Michele Metych
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I Tried the “6 to 1” Method and I’ve Never Dreaded Grocery Shopping Less (and Saved So Much Money)
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6 to 1 Grocery Shopping Method
In Chef Will Coleman’s 6 to 1 grocery shopping method, shoppers purchase six vegetables, five fruits, four protein sources, three starches, two sauces or spreads, and one item just for fun. This system simplifies shopping, reduces waste, and saves money.
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Meg Asby
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How to beat inflation: First, tackle lifestyle creep – MoneySense
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The other day I had to run out to buy cooking oil to make dinner. I knew which brand I wanted because it was a good size and it was cheap—$5 when I bought it about three months ago. I was surprised and annoyed to find out that the same bottle of oil, which was the exact same size and shape with the same type of oil in it, was now $7.
It had gone up $2 in the last three months. Now, that doesn’t sound like a lot since it’s “only two dollars,” which shouldn’t affect your budget. But add in other expenses like the cost of gas, other grocery items and rent, and those “tiny” increases add up. Inflation really makes the wallet hurt.
Lifestyle creep versus inflation
We spoke to two experts to find out how to deal with increases in household spending, in terms of both practical steps and the emotional side. Nearly 50% of Canadians say that money worries negatively affect their mental health, according to an Ipsos survey. First, we need to look at the difference between inflation and lifestyle creep. Inflation is when prices of goods and services increase with a corresponding decrease in the purchasing power of your money.
Lifestyle creep is when your standard of living improves as your income rises and former discretionary or luxury items become expectations. Think having all the entertainment streaming options instead of one or two because now you can afford it.
You can control lifestyle creep to an extent through budgeting and being aware of your spending habits. With inflation, there’s only so much you can control. If prices increase for household necessities, you end up spending more, whether you like it or not.
You can switch to cheaper items to save money, but at a certain point you may be sacrificing usability for price. Think one-ply toilet paper; it’s cheaper but you go through it faster, leading to spending more money. (Also, it doesn’t feel great.)
Since it feels like everything is going up except our salaries, how can you rein in the involuntary lifestyle creep and get some sense of control over your money?
How to avoid lifestyle creep and cut costs
Chantal Chapman, CEO and co-founder of financial literacy education firm The Trauma of Money in Vancouver, says to not let a scarcity mindset sabotage your spending. “If there was a time in your life when your income was low and you really had to restrict [your spending], that actually can lead to compulsive behaviours such as overspending.”
“It comes down to discipline,” says Elke Rubach, president of Rubach Wealth in Toronto. She admits that it does suck, saying, “I think the only blanket advice we can use for everyone is to sit down and do a reality check, because just feeling the pinch isn’t a healthy thing, because then you’re like pinching, pinching, pinching.”
She says one way to counteract the pinching is to check what’s causing it. “Is it actually the economy or is it something you can control? Is it eating out? Or is it that you’re buying groceries but things are going to waste? Are you buying the right things?”
How to save money on groceries in Canada
Another tactic is to shop at the local stores in your neighbourhood, says Rubach. With the Loblaws boycott proposed for May, she says, shopping local is “a very different approach. It’s not a negative. You’re doing the same action, to be clear, but instead of looking at it as ‘let’s screw Loblaws’—because they’ll just bring in technology and fire employees—look at your typical grocer at the corner of the street. They’re a lot cheaper.”
She also says shopping every few days can help keep costs down, especially if you live alone or have a small family. That way, you can plan your meals, reduce food costs and waste, and take advantage of sales.
Chapman says that even if you can afford price increases, try to contain them by limiting your splurges to certain purchases.
She says that while it’s nice and a privilege to be able to afford what you want and need, don’t let that dictate your spending. “You can say, ‘I don’t need to worry about how much I’m spending on my coffees,’ but maybe choose one area versus just applying that to everything if you are concerned about your budget.”
How to save money on clothes
Rubach advocates for second-hand clothing, swaps and hand-me-downs, especially when it comes to children. “There’s no need to buy new things every school year,” she says. “I’m guilty of doing that when my first child was born, spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothes.” Facebook marketplace or local FB groups are a good source for clothes and other household goods. Check your local neighbourhood for clothing swaps.
When faced with inadvertent lifestyle creep, we can revisit our budgets and attitudes to spending—at least until inflation, prices and interest rates slow down.
More about spending:
- Save money, save the planet: Our favourite products and strategies for eco-friendly living
- The best rewards credit cards in Canada
- How much should you tip at restaurants in Canada?
- The real costs of buying a car
- Why is chocolate getting so expensive?
The post How to beat inflation: First, tackle lifestyle creep appeared first on MoneySense.
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Renée Sylvestre-Williams
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Grocery inflation in Canada: New report for spring 2024 – MoneySense
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Spring 2024 outlook on grocery food inflation for Canada
The outlook for food and beverage manufacturers this year is more positive than last year, FCC said, though some sectors still face headwinds amid elevated interest rates and tighter household budgets. “However, population growth and stabilizing—in some cases, falling—input costs are providing optimism for margin improvement for 2024.”
The organization’s annual food and beverage report offers up forecasts for consumer spending, as well as specific food items such as sugar and flour.
What is Canada’s inflation on food?
Canada’s annual inflation rate was 2.8% in February, and grocery prices were one of the main factors pushing it lower. Grocery inflation was 2.4% that month, down from 3.4% in January, as the cost of many items declined year over year. However, slowing inflation doesn’t mean prices overall are dropping. Statistics Canada noted in its latest inflation report that between February 2021 and February 2024, grocery prices rose 21.6%.
How are Canadians dealing with rising food prices?
As they grapple with higher prices, not just on food but on shelter and other daily costs, Canadians have been trying to cut back their spending on food and beverages, FCC said. They have been buying more items on sale, gravitating toward less expensive brands, buying more canned and frozen foods, shopping more at discount retailers and simply buying less food.
“Many consumers say the impact of high interest rates are just beginning to affect their spending,” FCC said.
As shoppers have become more price sensitive, FCC said processors have been responding by modifying package sizing and substituting less expensive inputs.
Canadians have also been cutting back on alcohol, the report said. It forecasts a decline in alcohol sales and manufacturing volumes this year.
Will food prices go down?
The report said some food products are expected to go down in price this year, such as flour, after a sharp increase over the last couple of years. This will translate to lower bakery and tortilla manufacturing selling prices by the end of the year.
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The Canadian Press
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The Beloved $5 Aldi Dinner Staple I Wish I’d Tried Way Sooner (Now I Buy It Every Single Week)
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Patty CatalanoPatty is the Food Editor at The Kitchn, where she develops all of your favorite recipes and writes about her most beloved grocery finds. Previously, she worked as Alton Brown’s Research Coordinator and podcast producer and in the Oxmoor House test kitchen. She loves maple syrup, coffee and board games. Patty lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children.
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Patty Catalano
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5 Not-to-Be-Missed Trader Joe’s Groceries That Just Hit Stores, According to a Former Employee
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.On a trip abroad a few weeks ago, I was tasked with explaining Trader Joe’s to a Danish person (not an easy feat). “Some have said it sells everything and nothing,” is how I started my description (a high compliment, honestly), before describing my favorite out-of-the-box products, the music, and the idiosyncratic interactions I’ve had in stores. Well, it seems that Trader Joe’s not only picked up on my description, but also doubled down on the “everything and nothing” with its new items this month.
Whether you’ve noticed it or not, I love spotting a theme in my shopping choices, and the theme of this month’s haul is something I call “We Didn’t Need This.” Did I need any of these items? Absolutely not. Am I glad they exist? Absolutely. We live in peak “little treat culture,” and there’s certainly a little treat for everyone this month — even if it’s just a tiny smile-inducing sweet to stash in your pocket. Okay, so maybe one does need all of these things? I digress! On to the goods …
1. Salted Caramel Swirl Danish, $3.99 for 10.23 ounces
Breakfast, to me, is typically a meal marked by how well it goes with coffee. (In a pinch, I’ll go for one of these shockingly good instant coffees.) This is crucial because I’ll often make it to 11 a.m. without ingesting anything but coffee, and need to make sure that the caffeine alone doesn’t start to make me feel like I’m on the moon. So this is where something easy and coffee-compatible like a swirly-twirly danish really helps bring me back to earth.
Unlike other danishes I tend to see at the grocery store, these Salted Caramel Swirl Danishes aren’t one-note — far from it! This buttery danish pastry (baked by actual Danish bakers, like from Denmark) is piped with an almond custard that has that cherry-adjacent marzipan-y finish I love and goes super well with the salted caramel that swirls around and around. These danishes aren’t just a match for coffee in the morning, either; pair it with your next afternoon London Fog for a day-brightener like no other.
2. Mini Chocolate Chip Croissant Swirls, $3.99 for 8.5 ounces
Let me get to the point: I love these silly little swirls. I just popped a single one in my toaster oven to test and the smell from one (ONE!) buttery croissant swirl made me go, “Since when did I move into a French patisserie?” It makes total sense, as a French bakery supplier is who I have to thank for these are-they-breakfast-or-are-they-dessert creations.
No component of these Mini Chocolate Chip Croissant Swirls is lacking. The flaky layers? Light and airy, allowing the supremely rich semi-sweet mini chocolate chips to really shine. They’re buttery and subtly crunchy, yet they have doughy, melty innards — and they’re ready for a dip into some espresso. They’re also maybe one of my favorite sizes ever (the size of a silver dollar pancake). So cute! I have no notes.
3. Organic 100% Sicilian Lemon Juice, $3.29 for 8.45 ounces
I’m not sure what’s physically going on with me at the moment (trying not to Google it!), but my craving for sour, acidic, bright, tangy foods has been next-level (see: my emergency pack of Sour Patch Kids in my car cup holder). Even when I cook at home, my usual vinegary, citrusy friends could stand to be a bit bolder, so I was so excited to see that Trader Joe’s is now carrying Organic 100% Sicilian Lemon Juice.
I couldn’t help myself once I left the store — I took a swig. And whoa, this lemon juice was strikingly different from the lemons I slice up at home. The juice is still quite sour, yet not packed with too much acid or bite. It’s also incredibly aromatic, almost bergamot-adjacent. It also just tastes very fresh, and sure to be liquid gold in whatever you choose to use it for — maybe a French 75, some lemon bars, or the best lemon granita ever?
4. Brown Sugar Boba Mochi, $2.99 for 6.35 ounces
One of the first few things I did after a Trader Joe’s shop was rip into these mochi, pull out my phone, and text a friend a photo of the bag along with the caption, “Oh these are trouble.” My lifelong quest of ranking all the “not-too-sweet” treats of the world has led me to maybe my favorite Trader Joe’s treat of all time.
How did TJ’s do it? Well, imagine a brown sugar boba tea that was shrunken down into a bite-size mochi. That whole experience is basically what the grocer did with these chewy little mochi bites. The texture is unreal: They’re pillowy soft, with a powdery exterior that makes me feel like I’m eating a lightly sweetened mini cake donut. My only gripe is that they are individually wrapped once you break into the main bag, which will definitely slow my roll when it comes to devouring these.
5. Brown Butter Salted Caramel Mini Biscotti, $4.99 for 9 ounces
Trader Joe’s is clearly going all in on salted-caramelizing as many things as possible (ice cream! Bread pudding! Baking chips!), and this time it’s the newest seasonal mini biscotti. It’s been a real neck-and-neck competition at the Not Too Sweet Awards 2024, but these Brown Butter Salted Caramel Mini Biscotti just might clinch the second-place spot after the Brown Sugar Boba Mochi.
The brown butter taste, I find, is often lost if it’s not in a freshly homemade dish, but these biscotti manage to encapsulate the buttery-toasty notes really nicely. I honestly got more of a brown butter, maple syrup, and pancake flavor combo here (rather than caramel), which I was not mad about. There’s really nothing to criticize about these biscotti — especially after you dunk one in some steamed milk.
Which new Trader Joe’s items are you adding to your cart? Tell us in the comments below.
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Mackenzie Filson
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Blue Apron vs. HelloFresh: We Cooked from Both Meal Kits, and This One Is Worth the Price
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.Some weeks (ahem, most weeks), I just don’t want to decide what to eat at every meal. Researchers at Cornell University have estimated we make about 225 food-related decisions a day. That’s simply way too many, I think! If I could off-sell just some of these tasks to someone, anyone, trust me — the job would go to the lowest bidder.
Thankfully, this is somewhat a reality I can test out, with all the different exciting meal kits that can be delivered to my front door. Don’t you love the future?
In an effort to cut down on at least a few dozen of those daily food decisions, I decided to test out meal kits from both Blue Apron and HelloFresh. It was a real duel for the ages, with many questions to consider: Would they be as delicious (or more) than my own kitchen creations? Could they save me money, time, and dishwashing elbow grease? Here’s how this showdown shook out.
For each meal kit, I opted to try three different recipes (two servings each). The total price of both shook out as follows:
Blue Apron Meal Kit: $76.93 ($10.99 per serving plus $10.99 for shipping)
HelloFresh Meal Kit: $70.93 ($9.99 per serving plus $10.99 for shipping)From these base offerings, you can opt in for more upgraded options, such as Blue Apron’s “Craft” or “Premium”-marked recipes, which add between $6.99 to $14.99 per serving, or HelloFresh’s “Premium Picks,” which add between $1.99 to $9.99 per serving.
HelloFresh boasts 100+ recipes per week (reality check: I clocked 44 for the week of April 1), while Blue Apron offers about 80+ recipes to choose from (reality check: I clocked 16 for the same week), with a wide variety of proteins and sides. Both services also offer recipes with options to switch out the protein or side.
For my kits, I went with the following recipes:
One thing to note for the gluten-averse out there (waving my hand here): Both Blue Apron and HelloFresh have limited gluten-free options, which is a bummer for those of us with gluten sensitivities. Some recipes had no gluten-containing ingredients, although they weren’t labeled gluten-free. You can also swap in your own gluten-free ingredients — breadcrumbs, bread rolls, and flour — in some of the meal options I tried. Note: It’s very possible some meal ingredients and components were made in a gluten-containing facility. Similarly, there aren’t any noted vegan recipes on Blue Apron (only vegetarian), but there are often a few vegan recipes on HelloFresh in addition to vegetarian options.
Each service allows you to add on extra meals, but also a fun assortment of other fridge-fillers. HelloFresh, for one, has more add-ons than I was expecting, like GoodChop meat and seafood boxes, dog food from Pet’s Table, prepared meals, charcuterie boards, and breakfast and lunch kits.
Blue Apron offers slightly fewer add-ons, more so things to fill out your original weekly meals, like appetizer and side kits, extra proteins, and desserts, as well as prepared meals.
The very first thing I ask myself is would I make this again? Meal kits really earn their space in my fridge when the recipes are easy enough that I am excited to make them again. I’ve got binders full of recipes I’ve tried and loved, recreating and riffing on them over and over again. I also pay attention to recipe pacing, noticing if I’d wished a step came earlier or later (depending on what other process is going on), and how warm the resulting meal is at dinner time.
I also give major props to a meal kit if it teaches me something, like a new technique or way to prepare an ingredient. My last marker of quality? I call it the Tiny Bowl Test. Did this recipe force me to use too many tiny bowls to separate/mix/marinate various ingredients? Yeah? Well, that’s cause for some points off. I even kept a checklist of tiny bowls per recipe to see how each meal kit stacked up in my sink. (I don’t have a dishwasher!)
With all that in mind, let’s talk taste: If it’s easy, teaches us something, uses minimal tiny bowls, but doesn’t taste good, then what’s the point, right? In terms of flavor, both kits delivered medal-worthy meals: Blue Apron’s Pesto Farro Bowls and HelloFresh’s Apricot, Almond & Chickpea Tagine. They were simple, tasty, and more complex than I anticipated. I’d gladly make them over and over again!
Both HelloFresh and Blue Apron have a similar level of ease, which I call “can do it while holding a conversation.” I actually made a few of these recipes while carrying full-on conversations with the friends I was cooking for. So if you’ve got many distractions (kids, a barking dog, a buzzing phone), are short on time and multitasking, or simply a sociable cook, both would be great options. Each kit was also accommodating to those nights you’re making dinner and don’t want to (or can’t) babysit your dish.
Each kit had its pros and cons. When it came to recipe pacing, Blue Apron’s meals were much easier to complete — each component stayed the same temperature at serving time, while HelloFresh’s pacing often meant one component of the meal was not as warm as desired (like the mashed potatoes for the Crispy Buffalo-Spiced Chicken). Blue Apron also won out majorly with the variety of produce each recipe included — it’s a literal garden variety of options. Conversely, I found the sides for my HelloFresh meals to be a bit “same-y” and wished there was slightly more variety outside of carrots and potatoes.
For being a “Premium” option, Blue Apron’s Seared Scallops in Creamy Tomato Sauce was my least favorite recipe of the kits. I was expecting a much more complex dish based on the ingredients (Verjus Blanc, marinated Cipollini onions, a mirepoix), but much of those got lost in the heavy cream. Blue Apron also did not win the Tiny Bowl Test, with many recipes needing between three to seven tiny bowls each (HelloFresh only needed one to two tiny bowls).
All in all, I’d call HelloFresh the winner, but it’s a close one. HelloFresh has more dishes I’d be likely to recreate, with a mix of comfort food (Cheddar-Stuffed Meatloaves) and more complex options (Apricot, Almond & Chickpea Tagine). For what I like to make throughout the week, this mix felt like it matched my current needs.
That being said, both kits taught me something new, which inevitably brought them to the close tie. Blue Apron actually got me to like mushrooms (thanks, Seared Steak with Mushroom Agrodolce!), while HelloFresh changed how I’ll make my rice (with onion and stock), plus it taught me how to make the frizzled crispy shallots I want to put on everything.
Blue Apron is “date-night”-capable, while HelloFresh is more family- and picky eater-friendly. They’re both great, but likely fulfill a different niche based on your household, style, and the people you’re eating with. I could see myself alternating between the two, depending on what I’ve got going on throughout the month.
Have you tried Blue Apron or HelloFresh? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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Mackenzie Filson
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Can Walmart+ Actually Save You Hundreds of Dollars on Groceries?
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.If there’s a chance that I don’t have to go to a grocery store (but still have a fridge miraculously filled with food), I’m going to take that option SO fast. Lightning fast, in fact! It’s not just because online grocery shopping has saved me quite a bit of money (I make way fewer impulsive or hangry buys); it also allows me more time in my one precious life for the important things, like taking up pickleball or catching up on Love Island UK.
So when I saw that Walmart had rolled out a Walmart+ membership program, I knew I’d have to try it out to see if it could save me a bit of money and a bit of time (the ultimate BOGO, TBH). Not all online grocers are made equal, and with some you’re paying a lot for convenience. I decided to suss out if Walmart+ is worth it or not. Here’s what I found.
Simply put, Walmart+ acts similarly to having an Amazon Prime account: the monthly membership fee gets you free shipping on all sorts of things (like online orders and grocery deliveries from a nearby store), plus early access to deals, a subscription to Paramount+, as well as cashback opportunities. You can also either pay for a yearly subscription or monthly.
How Much Does a Walmart+ Membership Cost?
What Makes a Walmart+ Membership Worth It?
Much like how Walmart isn’t just a grocery store, Walmart+ is more than a handy grocery delivery service. A Walmart+ membership will also get you:
What’s most exciting about Walmart+ is that the prices are the same in store and online — there’s no surcharge for online orders, which I’ve noticed at other retailers. Walmart even has a handy quiz at sign-up that helps you map out how much the service can save you in a year (you can fill in how often you expect to get grocery deliveries, do online orders, and stop for gas). Per the quiz, it’s estimated I could — in theory — save $540 a year by using the service.
Can You Shop at Walmart Without a Membership?
You bet! Like other grocery services (think: Amazon Fresh or Instacart), Walmart is still shoppable without a membership, whether you opt to shop online or in-store. You will pay additional fees for shipping, delivery, or any additional shopper-related fees (like tips) when shopping online.
Why You Might Pass on a Walmart+ Membership
Look, the Walmart+ membership gets you a lot of benefits. That being said, there are some snags I think are cause for consideration:
As for me, a solo shopper who punctuates Trader Joe’s runs with a few Instacart orders a month, I love the selection of Walmart+. It’s a lot of what I need all at one store, with the handiness of being able to order a wide variety of things — guitar picks, mascara, and a fresh pack of socks — all with free shipping.
Like I said before, us single household city-dwellers (I live in Los Angeles) might not be able to reap all the benefits of Walmart+, so for me it’s not 100% worth it as of now, but I’d definitely consider it if I lived within delivery distance, had a larger household, or just really needed a large box of Fruity Pebbles on the regular.
Are you a Walmart+ member? Tell us about your experience below!
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Mackenzie Filson
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Why is chocolate getting so expensive? – MoneySense
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Why is chocolate getting so expensive? A lot of ingredients go into a chocolate bar, including sugar and milk, but the one which gives chocolate its namesake—cocoa—is in particularly short supply at the moment.
Thanks to a combination of bad workplace conditions, climate change and insatiable global demand, cheap chocolate will be in very short supply, and experts aren’t sure when it’ll improve. Here’s how we got here, and how you might be able to get the most bang for your buck the next time you’re shopping for chocolate.
What makes cocoa so expensive?
Basically, there isn’t enough of it on the market. Over half of the world’s cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate, is grown in just two West African countries—Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. If you count all countries in the West African “cocoa belt,” it comes out to around 80% of the world’s supply.
Most of the farmers growing this cocoa are very poorly paid, which has some seeking alternative sources of income for their land. According to a 2023 report from Corporate Accountability Lab on West Africa’s cocoa industry, hired workers in Côte d’Ivoire earn about USD$0.89 to USD$1.34 per day. Farmers sometimes cannot afford to hire paid help, and rely on family members to harvest their crops. To make extra money, farmers sometimes give their fields to illegal gold miners for cash, which degrades production.
To make matters worse, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are facing disastrous growing conditions for cocoa. Last year’s El Niño weather event left the West African region hotter than normal. Unpredictable rainfall mixed with dry spells is also wreaking havoc on cocoa tree growth. And swollen shoot disease, which destroys cocoa trees and is spread by insects, is getting worse in Côte d’Ivoire.
With the global market so dependent on this region, any disruptions mean rising cocoa prices. This week, the going rate for cocoa beans nearly hit USD$10,000 a ton on the New York Futures Exchange. (Futures are derivatives; they’re contracts to buy or sell an asset for a set price at a later date.) Just last summer, it was around USD$2,500 a tonne. And demand isn’t letting up. The global chocolate market is expected to grow by about 4% annually between 2024 and 2030, according to Grandview Research.
Canadian shoppers also have to deal with the various reasons why groceries are expensive—not just chocolate. Not only is Canada’s grocery market very concentrated, and therefore more vulnerable to price-fixing, but the sheer size of our country means it isn’t cheap for food suppliers to send their products to market.
Add all of these problems together, and Canadian chocolate shoppers will be hard-pressed to find any deals this year.
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Brennan Doherty
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The $4 Aldi Grocery I’m Stocking in My Freezer All Spring
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.Mornings usually start with a quick and easy breakfast and a very large cup of coffee. Then I’m dropping kids off at school and starting my own work day. I’d prefer to wake up to savory breakfast casseroles or creamy scrambled eggs served with crispy hash browns and linger longer at the table, because breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Luckily, there’s no season like spring to clean up the morning routine. And I’ve found just the thing to help me do that — at Aldi.
The discount grocer is my first stop for breakfast staples, like these fab freezer pork sausage patties and plush, frosted cinnamon rolls. Potatoes are at the heart of my favorite breakfast and brunch dishes, which is part of the reason why I’ve started adding Aldi’s Season’s Choice Hash Browns Shredded Potatoes to my grocery list — and I recommend you do the same.
What’s So Great About Season’s Choice Hash Browns Shredded Potatoes?
You can buy hash brown-style shredded potatoes at most retailers, but at just $3.89 per bag why would you shop anywhere but Aldi? These bags are big. Clocking in at 30 ounces, each one contains enough of the starchy shreds to serve a crowd or to dish out over several breakfasts. (I just tuck the open bag into a gallon-sized freezer bag once it’s been opened to maintain freshness and keep the potatoes contained.)
When buying bags of Aldi’s Season’s Choice Hash Browns Shredded Potatoes, make sure to gently shake the bag. You should be able to feel the potatoes moving around freely inside. While a few clumps of shredded potatoes are to be expected, leave any that are frozen in a solid block on the shelf — this is a sign that the food may have thawed and refrozen, which can impact the taste and texture of the potatoes.
What’s the Best Way to Serve Season’s Choice Hash Browns Shredded Potatoes?
Springtime is also filled with brunch-y celebrations (is your Easter spread set and your Mother’s Day menu planned?) and patio picnic tables adorned with in-season asparagus, sweet strawberry desserts, and, my favorite, potatoes. Aldi’s Season’s Choice Hash Brown Shredded Potatoes are the star of the brunch table. My go-to hash brown casserole is creamy, cheesy, and ridiculously easy to make.
I also recommend stirring them into potato-leek soup in lieu of fresh potatoes. Frozen shredded hash browns can add texture and heft to herby, cheesy frittatas. And don’t forget to add them to the top of a hotdish instead of tater tots or over shepherd’s pie in place of mashed potatoes.
Buy it in stores: Season’s Choice Hash Browns Shredded Potatoes, $3.89 for 30 ounces
What freezer finds are you buying from Aldi this spring? Share your favorites in the comments below.
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Patty Catalano
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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Is Taking Over Grocery Shelves
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Is there a food deal this power couple isn’t behind?
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Justine Lee
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The One Trader Joe’s Grocery Employees Can’t Wait to See Back on Shelves This Spring
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Plus nine more seasonal items you’ll want to add to cart, STAT.
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Alexandra Frost
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You’ve Been Buying the Wrong Sandwich Bread Your Entire Life
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.Perhaps it’s the texture — tender to the bite, but determined to hold its shape, thanks to its heavy kneading. Maybe it’s the visual — a caramel crust, slightly shiny from a wash, encasing an egg-y blonde interior. More than likely it’s both, and we Americans willingly pay a premium for brands’ French-style brioche buns, rolls, and sliced bread.
What’s So Great About Nature’s Own Perfectly Crafted Brioche Style Bread?
What I love about this style of brioche starts with the texture. The wide slices are even thicker, denser, and more pillowy than the best potato breads. It takes what feels like sharp teeth and determination to break into it, offering such a deep sense of satisfaction when its pliancy bows down to the primal supremacy of my mandible. Take that! I think as the squishiness inevitably gives to the pressure of my jaws.
That thought’s quickly replaced by a joyful, Mmm! as the aroma rises up to my nose and flavor hits my tongue. As I chew, there’s a toastiness, from the malted barley in the crust, and a mild sweetness that reappears at the finish (thanks to the well-incorporated sugars, no doubt). The butter adds a richness and a stark contrast to the kind of greasy feel and sour aftertaste other breads made with oil can leave behind.
Even better is its ability to hold its own. It does not collapse under the weight of hefty ingredients or hungry chompers. Every bite feels like the first one, staying thick and fat, retaining its volume even as I work my way through whatever sandwiches — both closed and open-faced — I make with it.
This is, in part, because of the extra wheat gluten, a nontraditional addition that gives the dough stretch without all the kneading (it’s also what helps this bread avoid an otherwise common problem with sliced brioche bread: dryness).
What’s the Best Way to Eat Nature’s Own Perfectly Crafted Brioche Style Bread?
Little beats a butter sandwich — especially with complex, high-quality butters. What’s better than French-style soft bread with high-end French butter like Rodolphe Le Meunier, or high-tang cultured butter like Vermont Creamery’s to counter the bread’s sweetness? The other right answer is extra-rich, 85% fat (vs. the 80% often found in American butters) Danish Creamery butter. Either way, butter sandwiches are my litmus, and these pass no matter the spread.
Then there are the breakfast dishes: French toast, toad in the hole, ham and egg sandwiches, and more. This dense bread stands up well in them all. I particularly love ham and egg whites with mayo and Aldi’s extra onion-y everything seasoning, so that the salty and savory notes accentuate the sweetness of the bread.
For lunch, it’s a no-brainer for grilled cheese — especially when you add sweet elements, like caramelized onions or apple jam, that bring out the sweetness of the bread. They’re also fantastic for classic PBJs. Skippy’s Natural Super Chunk peanut butter and Crofter’s Harvest Berry provide a perfect textural contrast against the smoothness of the brioche bread. Sandwiched around a stack of turkey slices, a lesser bread would disintegrate into sogginess from enough tomatoes and mayo, but not this bread. The slices are thick and robust enough to stand in for burger or hot dog buns, which Nature’s Own also makes, but if you’re in a pinch this is a perfectly acceptable hack.
And finally, for dessert, it makes an excellent bread pudding. How could it not? The recipe requires a wee bit more custard than your standard breads, but the low porousness helps this brioche maintain its natural texture, which is, as advertised, “perfectly crafted.”
What sliced bread do you buy at the grocery store? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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Su-Jit Lin
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The One-Pan “Lazy” Dinner Elizabeth Banks Makes on Repeat
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.Recently I was asked this age-old hypothetical: If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be and why? Elizabeth Banks is absolutely at the top of my shortlist — and she should probably (definitely!) be on yours too.
The actor, filmmaker, long-time advocate for reproductive rights, and self-described Amateur Goofball “actually love[s] to cook.” She keeps a “Food Inspo” Instagram folder (and another one that’s just called “Shit I Like”) and can just as easily throw together a big rotisserie chicken couscous salad with Meyer lemon dressing — made with lemons freshly picked her own Meyer lemon tree, no doubt — as she can a creamy bowl of gnocchi. (Oh yeah, in this dream scenario, Elizabeth is also hosting this dinner.)
She’s also totally down to clown. When I called the most recent commercial for Archer Roose “silly, stupid, fun” she simply laughed and responded, “That’s me.” Elizabeth also shared a few of her favorite of-the-moment recipes, the three items you’ll always find in her freezer, and the food trend she can’t get enough of.
It’s a typical Tuesday. What’s for breakfast?
First of all, I have coffee. I used to be a tea person, and I’ve moved to the more efficient Americano Nespresso. I have the machine. I make the thing. Sometimes I put oat milk in it, but usually I’m just drinking it black. And then I need a little protein — I really tend to shy away from breads in the morning, but I will often make a really quick egg (with greens from my garden, like spinach, kale, or chard in “the literal same pan”). I also do parfaits — I literally just had one this morning and it’s still sitting here. I had Vanilla Chobani with some berries and granola. (Her favorite brand: Paleonola Grain Free Vanilla Bean Granola.)
The other thing that happens in my house, often, is my bananas are getting brown, and then I’m making a smoothie with banana and any frozen fruit or juice that’s in the fridge. Honestly I’ll just blend a banana and orange juice to get rid of the banana.
My lunches are almost exclusively salads. I don’t really eat a big lunch, especially if I have breakfast. If I intermittent fast and I’m just eating lunch, then I’m making salads [with] greens from our garden, grains (typically couscous or quinoa), and avocado. For protein, I alternate between salmon and chicken. Otherwise I’m having leftovers or whatever is kind of in the fridge, or I order a salad.
What are you throwing together for dinner on a night when you’re too lazy to cook?
I love a one-pot thing. I just started making this cozy gnocchi recipe that I saw on an Instagram Story and I thought it didn’t look very hard. It starts with you browning some hot Italian sausage (but you don’t have to make it with meat) and then it’s really simple; anything that you can throw in with it is good.
I find sausage to be a really easy thing, and I like hot Italian sausage, kielbasa, chicken sausage, turkey sausage — you can’t mess it up. It’s already kind of made, you know.
What is the one dish you’re famous for in your family or amongst your friends?
I make an amazing fig dip from a recipe shared with me by a friend 15 years ago. Everyone asks, “Are you bringing the fig dip?” I’m going on a girls’ weekend this weekend and I’ll definitely be making the fig dip. It’s dried figs and olives. Kind of like a tapenade, but instead of being very olivey and savory, it’s much more sweet. You put it in a balsamic reduction. The main fresh thing is rosemary. So add fresh rosemary in there, garlic, and then put it in the fridge for four hours or overnight and serve it with chèvre or goat cheese or cream cheese. It is like to die for.
It’s 5 o’clock. Are you cooking with a drink in your hand? What drink?
I’m sort of Pavlov’s dog: If I see something that looks delicious, then I want it. When I’m making the cozy gnocchi, it’s for sure a red wine night. You know? I also will pour the red wine — sippy, sip — one for me, one for the recipe. Because along with tomato paste, you’re never going to go wrong adding a little red wine to browning meat in your skillet — especially a hot Italian sausage. Just like a little boop. One and one.
What are three food items someone will always find in your freezer?
What is a food trend you’re really into right now?
I kind of just discovered avocado oil. I was a big EVOO person, and I’ve sort of become obsessed with cooking with avocado oil. So I feel like that got trendy really recently and I’m very into that.
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Mara Weinraub
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We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Frozen Pizza, and They All Said the Same One
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.Good taste in frozen pizza is so important to me that one time I thought I found “the one” when the guy I was dating started picking apart why a particularly well-known brand of frozen pizza he had made for us just wasn’t as good as it used to be. Unfortunately the relationship ended, but the love of picking apart frozen pizzas did not. In the years since, I have eaten and critiqued my way through plenty of frozen pizzas.
So it should come as no surprise that it really makes my heart soar when chefs — three, in fact! — espouse equally strong feelings about my favorite frozen ‘za. It’s almost as incredible (and rare!) as seeing an actual bald eagle, a double-rainbow, or the phenomenon in which I renew my car registration on time. So even if Frozen Pizza Guy and I didn’t work out, knowing that the chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant agrees with my pizza taste makes it all worth it in the end.
The Best Frozen Pizza, According to Chefs
The instant favorite amongst the chefs I interviewed is none other than “Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza, 100%” says Chef Jeff Strauss of OyBar in Los Angeles. “As a child, as a stoned teenager, in college [I’d eat it] frozen, like not even cooked, eating it like pizza ice cream.”
Chef Wylie Dufresne of Stretch Pizza in New York (and the now-closed Michelin-starred wd~50) says he’s been a forever fan of Stouffer’s French bread pizza, long before he got into the game himself. “There’s a lot of work that goes into crafting great frozen food,” says Dufresne. “It’s just so impressive how crispy and crunchy the pizza is when it comes out of the oven.”
The distinct crunch of the French bread crust that gives way to an airy center is also what sticks out to America’s Test Kitchen cast member, food stylist, and author of the forthcoming cookbook Food Gifts, Elle Simone Scott. “This is the OG pizza in my life,” says Scott. “My uncle Pierre used to make them for me and my cousins as an after-school snack. We would scour the pantry for other fun items we could add as toppings. The flaky airiness of French bread is one of my favorite food sensations, even now.”Each of the chefs say that, even though they more than have the capability to make a great pizza from scratch, they still will pick up a box of Stouffer’s French bread pizza from time to time. Some add a few flourishes, naturally.
“I didn’t do this when I was a kid,” says Dufresne. “But if I made one these days, I’d church it up with some lightly dressed arugula and red onion. [And] well, everything is better with fried egg on top.”
Buy: Stouffer’s French Bread Pepperoni Pizza, $9.94 for 34.25 ounces (6 pizzas) at Walmart
Are you #TeamStouffer’s too? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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Mackenzie Filson
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The Ultimate Guide to CSA Farms in the Upstate
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Looking for ‘CSA near me’? Or maybe you’re curious about CSAs in Greenville, SC? In this article, you will learn how CSA farms work and the benefits of CSA programs for the farms and customers. And of course, where you can find a CSA in Greenville, SC.
What is a CSA?
The “farm to table” dining experience has taken the country by storm and indeed, it sounds divinely delicious: chefs are using fresh food straight from the farm, local ingredients to create tasty and (mostly) healthy meals. This type of cooking is spreading quickly, including Greenville, but eating out isn’t feasible every day so what about creating your own farm-to-table experience at home?
Enter Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, where families and individuals buy into a local farm for a certain number of weeks a year, sharing the risks and rewards of the crop, and get fresh ingredients either delivered to their door or made available for pickup every week. It is the perfect way to support local farms and eat the freshest and healthiest ingredients around.
CSAs work as a partnership between the member and the farmers. By buying into the farm itself, the family has its own share and reaps the seasonal harvest as they are grown. There are some inherent risks, however, as bad weather and pests can destroy part of a crop any given year although the farmers take great care to protect their harvests as best they can and many have agreements with other farms in nearby states to supplement their own harvests if need be.
Why Join a CSA?
One great benefit of getting farm fresh food from a CSA is that it’s so much healthier than conventional meat, eggs, and dairy products. And by buying a share in CSA, members get the option of cooking with lesser known ingredients that they may never have tried in the past. Many CSAs will give their members recipes every week using the fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products that are in that particular week’s share. So not only do you get to try new foods, you get to hone those cooking skills as well. Sautéed Swiss chard with parmesan? Yes please. Blueberry cobbler? I’ll take seconds.
Lastly, not only do you get the benefit of supporting a locally owned farm, but the costs can be comparable to shopping at grocery stores. Some CSAs will require payment for the entire season upfront or a deposit and prices vary widely and will also be dependent on whether the member wants a full or half share.
How Do You Pick Up Your Share?
Members pick up their shares every week at the same time and place, either at the farm itself or somewhere convenient in Greenville, with reusable shopping bags. Some farms will deliver weekly shares to your door. Seasons run in blocks usually in spring through the summer and another from late summer through the end of fall although some farms will start in January.
What Farms Offer a CSA near Greenville, SC?
Ready to buy into a CSA and start your own fresh food, farm-to-table experience? Here are a few available in the Greenville area:
Growing Green Family Farms, Anderson, SC
Feed & Seed Co.’s Crop Box, Greenville, SC
Ringgold Family Farm, Woodruff, SC
Horseshoe Farms, Travelers Rest, SC
Crescent Farms, Clinton, SC
Bio-Way Farms, Ware Shoals, SC
Mill Village Farms offers a Foodshare Box
Sharecroppers Farm, Spartanburg, SC
Swamp Rabbit Cafe, Greenville, SC
GrassFat Farms, Greenwood, SC with shipping available across SC (this is a meat CSA)
Want to find other local produce? We’ve rounded up the best spots for you.
Have you ever joined a local CSA? We would love to hear what you thought of your experience?
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Bethany Winston
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3 New Target Dinner Finds I’ll Be Buying This Spring (They’re All $5 or Less)
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.All of my favorite grocery stores (Costco, Aldi, and Target) have one thing in common: Food isn’t the only thing for sale. While it’s part of my job to grocery shop, checking off all of my errands in one stop really is a nice perk.
After picking up a new waffle maker, a birthday gift for an 8-year-old, and shampoo, I made room in my cart for the week’s groceries. At Target, I always check out the Good & Gather items (one of Target’s private labels and a brand that I’ve loved for years). The quality is top-notch for staples like these frozen stir-fry vegetables, frozen appetizers to serve at parties, and other fun foods that spark my culinary creativity.
Here are three new (or new-to-me) dinner finds from Target. Bonus: They’re all less than $5 each.
1. Good & Gather Four Cheese Gnocchi
I’d blame my kids for the fact that we eat pasta and cheese once a week, but the truth is, I love it too. Target’s Good & Gather Four Cheese Gnocchi is everything we love about cheesy pasta — upgraded. Tender pillows of gnocchi and a cheese sauce made from Asiago, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, and Grana Padano cook in 10 minutes or less. Serve this imported Italian side dish with pan-seared salmon, quick-cooking shrimp, or simple baked chicken thighs.
Buy: Good & Gather Four Cheese Gnocchi, $4.99 for 22 ounces
2. Good & Gather Steam-in-Bag Grain & Roasted Vegetable Blend
This bulgur and roasted vegetable side dish is a lifesaver on nights when I have mere minutes to prep dinner. The bulgur is light and tender with generously sized bites of roasted zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onion studded throughout. The dish relies on the flavors of the grain and veggies, so it’s versatile to pair with a variety of proteins. The 12-ounce bag feeds the two adults and two young kids of my family just fine, but if there are bigger appetites at your table, pick up a second bag. At less than $3 a bag, it’s still a great deal!
Buy: Good & Gather Steam-in-Bag Grain & Roasted Vegetable Blend, $2.89 for 12 ounces
3. Good & Gather Signature Tomato, Garlic & Calabrian Chile Spread
A spoonful from this little jar makes even the simplest bowl of pasta taste magical. How they pack so much flavor into this spread is a mystery, but one I’m happy to keep tasting until it’s solved. The basil, garlic, and tomato paste give the spread a familiar Italian vibe, but it’s unlike any other sauce I’ve tried, thanks to the addition of Calabrian chiles. Don’t worry — the sauce isn’t too spicy. The chiles add just the right amount of balanced heat for stirring into pastas and soups, or adding as a spread for sandwiches, spooning over eggs, and seasoning salmon.
Buy: Good & Gather Signature Tomato, Garlic & Calabrian Chile Spread, $4.99 for 6.35 ounces
What are your favorite new dinner staples to buy at Target? Tell us in the comments below!
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Patty Catalano
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The $8 Grocery Shortcut I Always Have in My Freezer (It Makes the Best 2-Ingredient Dinners!)
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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.In the depths of winter, few things are better than a massive, comforting bowl of soup for dinner. The huge variety of canned soups gives me so many options, but I always feel like there’s a certain amount of stretching or embellishing I need to do to make even the heartiest of soups feel like a full meal.
I’ll often add some leftover rice, a stray carrot, a wilting zucchini, random beans, frozen corn, or that last handful of baby spinach to give the bowl a little more oomph. The one ingredient that always does the trick, though — pushing a can from cozy starter to satisfying entrée — is Tyson Grilled & Ready Oven-Roasted Diced Chicken Breast.
What’s So Great About Tyson Grilled & Ready Oven-Roasted Diced Chicken Breast?
True to the bag’s promise, Tyson’s Grilled & Ready Oven-Roasted Diced Chicken Breast is skinless, boneless chicken breasts that come fully cooked and trimmed. Basically, they’re all prepped and ready for you to reheat. The white meat chicken, while tender, is less silky, and more firm than dark meat, so it stands up particularly well to being warmed up in soup (more on that below).
The chicken is also neutral tasting, which makes it go well with nearly everything. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s flavorless — far from it. The meat is very lightly seasoned, with an unmistakable chicken-y flavor from being cooked in its own stock, broth, and fat. It doesn’t ever overshadow other ingredients; it simply registers as, “Oh, there’s chicken. Nice.”
The quality is also pretty consistent. No woody chicken breasts or spongy bites, which is not something I can say for other products and certain store-bought rotisserie chickens. While there are sometimes veins or errant bits of fat in the coarsely chopped cubes, the pieces are big enough for you to pick them out if you want (as I do).
What’s the Best Way to Use Tyson Grilled & Ready Oven-Roasted Diced Chicken Breast?
I keep the diced chicken as is for heftier bites, or thaw them in the microwave just enough to cut into smaller pieces, which I’ll do from time to time depending on the soup. You can microwave the pieces all the way or, as I do, throw them directly in the pot with the soup, bringing it all to boil at the same time. Because they’re already fully cooked, I don’t worry about them toughening up like I would with poaching chicken or undercooking as I would if they were raw.
As the chicken warms directly in the pot, it’ll absorb the flavor of the soup (I recommend using a slow simmer to bring the soup to full heat). You can also bring it all to a rolling boil quickly if you want the roastiness of the chicken to stand out more.
I love adding this pre-cooked chicken to creamy soups, like chunky chipotle chicken corn chowder, because it turns the canned soup into something in between a sauce and a stew. This also works for creamy chicken and rice soup, which I can pour on a bed of steamed broccoli for a casserole shortcut.
It works great in medium-bodied soups, too. Supplemented Thai-style chicken and rice soup and hearty gumbo go on leftover rice to transform the two cheap, easy items into a big-bowl meal. It also complements vegetable-based soups, like garden vegetable, and adds protein to broccoli cheese soup. It breaks up the soft monotony of processed meatballs in Italian wedding soup or contrasts against the gentle give of beans in minestrone.
Finally, and most obviously, it adds nutrition and satisfaction to classic chicken noodle, chicken rice, and chicken and stars. Try adding some diced chicken to wonton, matzo ball, ramen, and egg drop soup, or whatever canned soup you like best. The opportunities are as bottomless as I can only wish my bowls were.
Buy: Tyson’s Grilled & Ready Oven-Roasted Diced Chicken Breast, $8.97 for 22 ounces at Walmart
What frozen shortcut are you loving right now? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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Su-Jit Lin
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